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World Bank Poll Shows Support for Mitigation Efforts, Even at a Cost

2 December 2009: A World Bank poll carried out in 15 countries shows the majority of people think their country has a responsibility in taking steps to deal with climate change. Ninety percent or more of respondents in Bangladesh, China, France, Indonesia, Kenya, Senegal, and Viet Nam held this view, while 80-90% held this view in Egypt, Japan, India, Iran, Mexico, Turkey and the US. In Russia, 58% of respondents said the country has a responsibility to deal with climate change.

Regarding costs of mitigation, people signaled they would support public measures to limit greenhouse gas emissions and step up adaptation measures. When asked whether they were willing to pay the equivalent of 1% or 0.5% of per capita GDP, prorated to a monthly amount, roughly half were willing to pay the higher amount, and approximately 10-38% were willing to pay the lower amount. This pattern reappeared in countries as economically disparate as the US and India. With the exception of Russia, majorities in 14 countries were willing to pay either 0.5% or 1% to take steps against climate change. Majorities were highest in Viet Nam (85%) and China (82%), but also substantial in Bangladesh (70%), Egypt (69%), Iran (66%), Japan (65%), France (64%), and the US, Mexico and Kenya (all 62%). [World Bank Press Release][The Report]